Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The First 20 Hours

  • How to Learn Anything... Fast!
  • By: Josh Kaufman
  • Narrated by: Josh Kaufman
  • Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (134 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The First 20 Hours cover art

The First 20 Hours

By: Josh Kaufman
Narrated by: Josh Kaufman
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.99

Buy Now for £13.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business cover art
Overthinking cover art
Learn like a Pro cover art
How to Fight a Hydra cover art
Speed Reading Mastery cover art
Speed Reading: How to Increase Reading Speed with Speed Reading Techniques, Learn Faster and Be More Productive cover art
$100M Offers cover art
10x Is Easier than 2x cover art
Indistractable cover art
Dotcom Secrets cover art
The Art of Explanation cover art
Getting Things Done cover art
Essential Trumpet Lessons, Book One: Get Started cover art
Unlimited Memory cover art
Python Programming cover art
Skill Up cover art

Summary

"Learn anything... fast!"

Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What's on your list? What's holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills - time you don't have and effort you can't spare?

Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy?

To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That's why it's difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It's so much easier to watch TV or surf the web...

In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition: how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you'll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well.

This method isn't theoretical: it's field-tested. Kaufman invites readers to join him as he field tests his approach by learning to program a Web application, play the ukulele, practice yoga, re-learn to touch type, get the hang of windsurfing, and study the world's oldest and most complex board game.

What do you want to learn?

©2013 Worldly Wisdom Ventures LLC (P)2013 Worldly Wisdom Ventures LLC

Critic reviews

"As a father of three, practicing neurosurgeon, and global journalist, I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. The First 20 Hours is a practical guide to learning beyond our mid-20s, when our brains are fully developed. Josh's book will inspire you to pick up forgotten hobbies and chase elusive dreams." (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent)

What listeners say about The First 20 Hours

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    9
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    33
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    11

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not a good listen

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I'm not sure who would want to listen to this book - somebody who wanted to learn how to do yoga? the book went through all the yoga positions and how to do them? I have done yoga I really didn't need anybody to tell me how to do it? I thought it was going to give me a game plan for learning some sort of framework but it didn't.

Would you ever listen to anything by Josh Kaufman again?

No

What didn’t you like about Josh Kaufman’s performance?

the content

Any additional comments?

Don't buy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Pretty Disappointing

Would you try another book written by Josh Kaufman or narrated by Josh Kaufman?

Yes, I like his writing and his narration is very good

What was most disappointing about Josh Kaufman’s story?

Got to say I am a little disappointed with it. Essentially 2/3 of the book are the case study examples of the new skills that the author decided to learn. Unless you are really interested in learning how to do yoga, web programming, touch-typing, play the Ukulele, the board game GO or windsurfing for yourself then the majority of the book can be pretty boring and somewhat tedious.

All the actually useful information and takeaways from the book (unless you are interested in the above skills) are in the first 3 chapters (40 pages) & the final 2 pages of the Afterword at the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Good Essay not really an audio book

What disappointed you about The First 20 Hours?

Kaufman is clearly passionate about his topic but its more of an essay than a full book.

What could Josh Kaufman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Less lists more substance when describing how he learnt each subject.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

lists lists and more lists

Any additional comments?

the first 20 pages are very good and they have made me get off my couch and pick up my ukulele. His TED talk on the topic is worth a visit

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

What disappointed you about The First 20 Hours?

after such a brilliant first book this really missed the mark.it seemed very repetitive and self serving

Has The First 20 Hours put you off other books in this genre?

no

Would you be willing to try another one of Josh Kaufman’s performances?

prob not

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointed

Any additional comments?

none

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful and inspiring listen

Although others have criticised this book for only being a few chapters of "meat" followed by examples, I found the examples to be the realisation of the meat of the book - the application of the principles contained.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Very good listen

He highlights what we know we should do with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. It is then up to you to make decisions about what you want in life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not worth the money or time

The principal from the first few chapters is sound. But then we go down a rabbit hole where the author spends half the book telling us in minute detail about the things he learn in 20 hours.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

The principles are good, but...

The core principles are solid, but I found the chapters where he broke down examples of learning yoga, programming etc pretty dull. They felt like padding, rather than value. YMMV

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great!

it was a bit hard to follow the audio with the repetitive learning however its part of the process!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great transferable skills

Super handy, especially if one of the skills you want to learn are listed in this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!